More CHPS compounds to improve maternal health

A fifty thousand Ghana- motorized fiberglass boat to help transport emergency delivery cases in communities along the Afram River to the Kotoso Reproductive Health Centre has been inaugurated at Hyewohoden in the Kwahu East District.

The Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), in collaboration with the Japanese Organization for International Cooperation in Family Planning (JOICEP) in partnership with the Ghana Health Service (GHS), jointly inaugurated the facility.

The occasion coincided with the inauguration of three Community Based Health Planning Service (CHPS) compounds along the Afram River in Sempoa, Aguaszekrom and Hyewohoden to help improve maternal health in the District.

The Project which was initiated by PPAG in collaboration with JOICEP, was funded by the Japanese Government, and is expected to help improve maternal health in the beneficiary district by 20 per cent.

The Project was expected to increase supervised birth deliveries in the district by 20 per cent, increased family planning acceptable rate and also reduce teenage pregnancies in the area by five per cent, using figures recorded in the district in 2010 as the baseline.

The Kwahu East District Director of Health Services, Mr Fredrick Osafo, urged people in the community to own the facilities and take good care of them to help prolong their life span.

The PPAG Middle Zone Manager, Mrs Christiana Acquah, appealed to chiefs and opinion leaders in the communities to help women to access the facilities and deliver their babies there, so that they could receive better health care.

She explained that healthy women could work and earn money to take care of their husbands and children and thereby keep happy homes.

The Representative of JOICEP, Ms Ryoko Nishida, called for the support of the community to ensure that the aim of the Project was achieved.

She expressed her appreciation to all collaborators who ensured the success of the Project.

Nana Osafo Kyenku, Akwamuhene of Abetifi, who chaired the function, called on young women in the area to guard against pre-marital sex, since that can destroy their future.